Thursday, October 2, 2025

Jorge Martin Blames Lack of Confidence for Japan MotoGP Crashes

Reigning MotoGP world champion Jorge Martin attributed his two crashes during Friday’s Practice at the Japanese Grand Prix to a loss of confidence with the front of his Aprilia motorcycle. The Spaniard, who previously won the Japanese Grand Prix riding for Ducati, experienced difficulties despite a promising start on Friday morning.

Martin began the day strongly in FP1, securing second place behind his former title rival Pecco Bagnaia. However, during the afternoon session, he was unable to maintain that momentum, crashing twice—once at Turn 5 and again at Turn 7. The accidents forced him to switch motorcycles, which, combined with the lost track time, limited his ability to improve, ultimately leaving him in 13th place by the end of practice.

Reflecting on his day, Martin said,

“In the morning, I felt good, but in the afternoon, I lacked confidence with the front and crashed twice.”

He added that the crashes significantly reduced his track time and that when he returned to the track for a time attack attempt, he had to use a bike and setup he hadn’t tested before. Despite these challenges,

“in the first time attack, I placed fourth, but during the second attempt, there were a lot of yellow flags.”

The feeling was positive nonetheless, and on Saturday we’ll try to take another step forward.

– Jorge Martin, MotoGP Rider

Martin mentioned that his team made adjustments to his bike during Practice but does not believe these changes were the cause of his crashes, although he admitted that

something was wrong with the front tyre.

During Martin’s struggles, his teammate Marco Bezzecchi continued to impress on the factory Aprilia RS-GP, ending Practice as the fastest rider ahead of KTM’s Pedro Acosta. Bezzecchi also showed strong long-run pace, signaling good prospects for the races at Motegi.

Martin noted that after the Misano test two weeks earlier, ergonomic modifications had helped him feel more comfortable, allowing him to reach approximately 80% of his full potential on the Aprilia. However, the upcoming Q1 qualifying session on Saturday morning presents a tough challenge, with competitors including the Gresini teammates Fermin Aldeguer and Alex Marquez, KTM’s Ene Bastianini, and VR46’s Franco Morbidelli all vying for a spot.

Latest News